Thank you to the author(s) who finally set down in pen the point that a 70hp bike might not a good choice for beginners. Long overdue!

IMHO, these are the bikes most riders should be riding.

No way. These bikes are for poosies. 100hp is the minimum for today's hotshot newby with credit card or an indulgent parent. If you don't have the hot 600RRRRR then you won't be all cool and stuff. They are all experts before they start!!

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"Make no mistake, Communism lost a big argument - one we know today as the 20th century."

Heavy sigh... The 06 EX has 53K on it, expect 70 by the end of the year. Ya know with emulators and a custom shock it hasn't been to bad, still gotta work on the high speed compression damping in the back. Don't know if these bikes can run hard bags or run all the electrics, I imagine so. This nonsense of no centerstands though.... When I wake up from my KTM, Ducati, Guzzi dreams I'll probably be looking at the Yamaha or something like it.

Nice article Jeff. It is good to see simple adjustability starting to come into the design of new bikes. Yamaha's seat and handlebar setup is pure genius.

I know a new rider girl who has a late model GSXR600. She would have been so much better off on the Kawi or Yamaha. Oh well. Aside from worrying about whether or not she will survive the 2010 riding season, I wonder if she will ever hit the powerband. Gave her the wise old guy riding on the street for a long time be careful, etc pep talk, it went in one ear and out the other

Nice article Jeff. It is good to see simple adjustability starting to come into the design of new bikes. Yamaha's seat and handlebar setup is pure genius.

I know a new rider girl who has a late model GSXR600. She would have been so much better off on the Kawi or Yamaha. Oh well. Aside from worrying about whether or not she will survive the 2010 riding season, I wonder if she will ever hit the powerband. Gave her the wise old guy riding on the street for a long time be careful, etc pep talk, it went in one ear and out the other

Thank you. Glad you liked it.

Agreed on the value of simple stuff like adjustable this and that that does not cost a lot to R&D or manufacture, but makes bikes an easier fit for more riders. I gave Kawasaki credit also for the adjustable clutch lever.

Good luck on getting the new rider to carefully explore that machine she has, or to listen to your experience. Maybe she actually took some of it in, and if not, hopefully she'll hear the same from others. And maybe if we're really lucky, someone will convince her to get some training, or she'll meet young riders who do influence her in a positive way?

Perhaps also her caution is a saving grace, or at least the lesser of two evils. For example, what could happen to the rider with lots of testosterone and also won't listen to anything you say, and maybe has buddies who egg him on to ride over his head?

Last year I showed up at a gathering on my 98 R1. A 19 yr-old said he thought the bike looked really cool, and was thinking of getting an R6 or Hayabusa as his first street bike, though he has zero experience of any kind.

I told him to get a 250 Ninja, maybe a 500, and carefully, and diplomatically told him about realities. After my best effort, he replied, "Man, thanks, but you know, the more you tell me stuff about how dangerous it could be, and all that, the more I want to do it ..."

I told him to get a 250 Ninja, maybe a 500, and carefully, and diplomatically told him about realities. After my best effort, he replied, "Man, thanks, but you know, the more you tell me stuff about how dangerous it could be, and all that, the more I want to do it ..."